Season 3 ofThe Beardefinitely takes a darker turn, delving further into the hellish atmosphere of Carmy’s (Jeremy Allen White) trauma while featuring emotionally poignant side stories of our favorite mainstay characters. Despite being labeled as a comedy-drama, the recent season of the show is sparse in terms of humor and generally subtle when it is present. As such, while we tumble into the chaotic finale,among the many cameos made by notable actors is a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cameo byBradley Cooper.
We see an image flash momentarily on screen as Cooper in an unmistakable white chef’s outfit, calling back to his 2015 film,Burnt. Unlike the more oafishcharacters he played earlier in his career,Cooper plays famous and hot-headed Parisian chef Adam Jones inBurnt, whose career is put on hold due to drug and alcohol abuse. There is a parallel in the sense that both chefs in these universes have their careers impacted by inner turmoil, but withBurntbeing critically panned andThe Bearreceiving the opposite reception, the choice is interesting, to say the least. While it doesn’t seem like Cooper’s cameo suggests he will be joining the cast, it is a surprising Easter egg that offers a brief touch of levity to an otherwise sobering episode.
Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto, a young chef from the fine dining world, returns to Chicago to run his family’s sandwich shop after a tragedy. As he navigates the chaotic environment of the small kitchen, Carmy must manage the struggles of turning around the failing business while dealing with his own grief and personal demons. The series dives deep into the intense world of culinary arts, highlighting the challenges of running a restaurant, the bonds formed among staff, and the relentless pursuit of perfection.
Bradley Cooper Makes A Blink-And-You’ll-Miss-It Cameo in ‘The Bear’
Cooper appears in Season 3, Episode 10, though not in physical form like the numerous other actors who made cameos in the series, but as a fleeting image in a montage. When one of Carmy’s mentors,Terry (Olivia Colman), decides to close her restaurant, Ever, she holds a funeral dinner service as her last hurrah.When Carmy first arrives at the service, he meanders through a hall that contains collages of various renowned chefsfrom aroundThe Bearuniverse. We experience viewing this collage via a quick montage, catching glimpses of familiar faces.
These include some of Carmy himself alongside Terry during the earlier stages of his career, as well as his colleague and previous rival, Luca (Will Poulter). We also see glimpses of the domineering man that haunts Carmy, becoming the basis of his trauma, who we find out isChef David (John McHale).Among these notable faces is Cooper, standing in chef’s attire with two hands braced on a table and a kitchen in the background.It is certainly not a face we expected to see, and if you catch it, it becomes a jolting moment of realization and curiosity.
Why Does ‘The Bear’ Have a ‘Burnt’ Easter Egg?
The fleeting image calls back to Cooper’s role as Chef Adam in a long-forgotten film that also touches on the pressures of working in the torrid environment of hospitality.Burntfollows Adam’s redemption as his career as the top chef in Paris is derailedby a particularly awful episode concerninghis alcohol and drug abuse. He returns to the Michelin-star restaurant world after being given a second chance by a particularly demanding maître d', and once again, is inducted into the high-pressure and inhumanly-paced hospitality environment.
The2015 film went completely under the radarand was met with dismal critical reception for its slightly out-of-touch portrayal of the kitchen, lackluster atmosphere, and one-dimensional characters. ConsideringThe Bear’s immense success with that aspect of its story, it is hard not to wonder why the film would be referenced in the first place. There are some parallels between the themes in Adam and Carmy’s storylines, whereboth characters have to surpass a seemingly insurmountable internal conflict before they can effectively contribute to their careers again. For Carmy, his “breakdown” could possibly be equated to the freezer room scene of Season 2, leading him to force out any notion of vulnerability and veer back into his non-negotiable, single-minded, and self-destructive behavior. It could alsohint that Season 4may bring about Carmy’s own redemption arc, as he finally faces the source of his hospitality-related trauma in the Season 3 finale.
Will Bradley Cooper Be Appearing in ‘The Bear?’
That being said, it is also equally as likely that Cooper’s cameo may not really mean anything at all. If you saw the cameo and recognized the film, the questions it conjured probably sounded like the following.Will Cooper be joining the cast ofThe Bear?Or areThe BearandBurntplaced in the same cinematic universe? Or is there a thematic link between the two films or characters? While we have discussed the latter question, an alternative view is that Cooper could have been added just to cast a light moment of humor in this particularly dramatic episode. With Carmy finally gearing up to address his fears,Sydney (Ayo Edebiri) nervously tip-toeingaround to deliver Carmy bad news, and the mystery of the review looming overThe Bear, the episode is ripe with tension. Cooper’s seemingly random appearance is initially bizarre enough to garner a few chuckles.
The Easter egg may also be a reference to Cooper himself rather than his role inBurnt. In 2023, the streets ofNew York City saw Cooper slinging Philly cheese steaks from a Danny’s and Coop’s food truck(viaABC News). Serving that single-item menu, the truck also had a note saying: “100% of the proceeds from today will be donated to help feed New Yorkers in need.” As such, the cameo may also just be a fun little wink at Cooper’s brief enterprise as a chef, ultimately becoming a quick reprieve from the more serious undertones of this season.
The BearSeason 3 is available to stream now on Hulu in the U.S.
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